Romney/Ryan Campaign Update: 9/21/12

Good Morning,

Today, Michigan Veterans for Romney will host coalition kick off BBQ at Creasey Bicentennial Park in Grand Blanc. Mitt Romney has a plan to strengthen the middle class and get people back to work, especially those who defend our country.  Our service members returning from battle should be able to quickly find a well-paying job, but with 14.4% of young post 9/11 veterans in Michigan unemployed in the Obama Economy, that’s easier said than done. Governor Romney will unleash the American economy to grow again and create well-paying jobs.

Friday, September 21^th, 2012

Where:                                 Creasey Bicentennial Park

1505 E. Grand Blanc Road

Grand Blanc, Michigan 48439

Who:                                     Veterans for Romney

Press Availability:            12:00 p.m. EDT

In case you missed it yesterday, President Obama said you can’t change Washington from the inside, admitting his failure to bring about the hope and change he promised and ran on in 2008. From “yes, we can” to “no, I can’t,” President Obama is right – he hasn’t been able to change Washington from the inside and his record in office proves it:

Under President Obama, The National Debt Has Surpassed $16 Trillion – An Increase Of $5.4 Trillion. (Department Of The Treasury, Accessed 9/20/12)

More Than Twenty-Three Million Americans Are Unemployed, Underemployed, Or Have Stopped Looking For Work. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 9/10/12)

“The Gap Between Rich And Poor Americans Grew In 2011 As The Poverty Rate Remained At Almost A Two-Decade High.” “The gap between rich and poor Americans grew in 2011 as the poverty rate remained at almost a two-decade high. The U.S. Census Bureau released figures today that showed household income fell, underscoring a sputtering economic recovery that’s at the heart of the presidential campaign.” (Catherine Dodge and Frank Bass, “Rich-Poor Gap Widens To Most Since 1967 As Income Falls,” Bloomberg, 9/12/12)

Americans Are Struggling With “A Shrinking Middle Class.” “The findings highlight concerns about a shrinking middle class and pose another obstacle to getting the economy back on track, said Annette Bernhardt, policy co-director at the National Employment Law Project, which conducted the study.” (Jim Puzzanghera, “Majority Of New Jobs In Recovery Are Low-Paying, Study Finds,” Los Angeles Times, 8/31/12)

If President Obama hasn’t delivered on any of the promises he made while running for his first term, why does he deserve a second? As Gov. Romney said yesterday in Sarasota, Florida, he will provide real leadership and necessary change in Washington to bring Americans together and move this country in the right direction:

Gov. Romney: “Now the country faces major challenges, you know that we face massive debt, trillion-dollar deficits. We face a Washington that’s broken – that can’t get the job done. The President today threw in the white flag of surrender again. He said he can’t change Washington from inside. He can only change it from outside. Well, we’re going to give him that chance in November. He’s going outside. I can change Washington. I will change Washington. We’ll get the job done from the inside – Republicans and Democrats will come together. He can’t do it. His slogan was ‘Yes, we can.’ His slogan now is ‘No, I can’t.’ This is time for a new president.”

Here’s what they’re saying about President Obama’s “disappointing lesson” on change:

                “Eyebrow-Raising Concession” … “Worst Gaffe” … “Scuttled His Hope-And-Change Campaign” … “A Pretty Disappointing Lesson”

BuzzFeed’s Zeke Miller: “The Admission Also Seemed To Undercut A Central Premise Of His 2008 Election… Reinforces The Perception That Obama Could Not Accomplish What He Set Out To Do.” (BuzzFeed, 9/20/12)
Politico’s Jonathan Martin: “Eyebrow-Raising Concession…” (Politico, 9/20/12)
BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith: “Perhaps Obama’s Worst Gaffe Since He Met Joe The Plumber…”   (Twitter.com, 9/20/12)
The Atlantic’s Elspeth Reeve: “President Obama Said He’s Learned Some Lessons In The White House, And This One Is A Pretty Disappointing Lesson…” (The Atlantic, 9/20/12)
New York Daily News’ Kristen Lee: “A Surprising Admission After Four Years In Office…” (New York Daily News, 9/20/12)
Politico’s Maggie Haberman: “Not An Especially Helpful Comment For A President Running For Reelection…” (Politico, 9/20/12)
Miami Herald’s Marc Caputo: “Under Pressure, Obama At One Point Sounded As If He Scuttled His Hope-And-Change Campaign Of Washington Reform That He Ran On Four Years Ago.” (Miami Herald, 9/20/12)
The Huffington Post: “Should’ve Chosen His Words More Carefully.” (“HuffPost Hill – Romney Mired In Womp Womp,” The Huffington Post, 9/20/12)

And four years later, homeowners are still waiting for change.  Candidate Obama promised to deliver change in Washington that would help “stop foreclosures”:

Candidate Obama, In 2008: “I’m Going To Make Sure That This Financial Rescue Plan Helps Stop Foreclosures … That’s The Change That We Need.” OBAMA: “As president, I’m going to make sure that this financial rescue plan helps stop foreclosures and protects your money instead of protecting CEOs and enriching CEOs. And I’m going to put in place common sense regulations that I’ve been calling for throughout this campaign, so that Wall Street can never cause a crisis like this again. That’s the change that we need.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Chester, PA, 10/28/08)

But families are still struggling with millions of foreclosure filings and underwater mortgages:

Since President Obama Took Office, Homeowners Have Received More Than 8 Million Foreclosure Notices. (RealtyTrac Website, 9/20/12)

Nearly 11 Million Homeowners Are Underwater On Their Mortgage. “CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, today released new analysis showing that 10.8 million, or 22.3 percent, of all residential properties with a mortgage were in negative equity at the end of the second quarter of 2012.” (CoreLogic, “CoreLogic Reports Number Of Residential Properties In Negative Equity Decreases Again In Second Quarter Of 2012,” Press Release, 9/12/12)

Under President Obama, The Average U.S. Home Has Decreased In Value By $13,000. (Zillow Website, Accessed 9/20/12)

And President Obama’s “alphabet soup” of programs has failed to deliver change for homeowners:

President Obama Has Acknowledged “That His Response To The Housing Crisis Had Fallen Short” By Declaring The Housing Crisis Was The “Most Stubborn” Problem He Faced. “This summer at the White House, Obama offered a rare acknowledgment that his response to the housing crisis had fallen short. Asked what mistakes he had made in handling the recession and what he would do differently, he said: ‘We had to revamp housing several times to try and help people stay in their homes and try to start lifting home values up. Of all the things we’ve done, that’s probably been the area that’s been most stubborn in us trying to solve the problem.’” (Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Efforts To Aid Homeowners, Boost Housing Market Fall Far Short Of Goals,” The Washington Post, 10/23/11)

Since 2009, President Obama Has Unveiled An “Alphabet Soup Of Housing Assistance Programs” That Have Failed “To Slow Or Halt The Slide In The U.S. Housing Market.” “That’s a big if, given that the alphabet soup of housing assistance programs to date — HAMP, HARP, EHLP, 2MP — have been too poorly administered and too limited in scope and eligibility to slow or halt the slide in the U.S. housing market.” (Eric Wieffering, “Fixing economy Requires More Work On Housing,” Star Tribune, 9/17/11)

“Every Program Has Fallen Far Short Of Goals.” “‘Every program has fallen far short of goals. I can’t think of one that’s been largely successful,’ says John Dodds, director of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, a non-profit that’s been involved in foreclosure prevention for decades.” (Julie Schmit, “What Went Wrong With Foreclosure Aid Programs,” USA Today, 12/12/11)

From housing to job creation, President Obama’s record continues to disappoint. American factories are struggling and as the Wall Street Journal notes incomes fell or stagnated in most states last year. With even President Obama having lost hope that he is able to bring about change, it’s clear this country needs a new leader with a proven record in turning struggling entities around.

Today, Paul Ryan will address the AARP Life @ 50+ Event at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, and will then travel to Florida:
11:35 AM CDT    Paul Ryan Addresses AARP Life @ 50+ Event
3:40 PM EDT       Paul Ryan Arrives in Lakeland

And Gov. Romney will campaign in Nevada today, where he will attend a Victory rally at UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada:

2:05 PM PDT       Governor Romney Attends Las Vegas Victory Rally

Thanks,

Sean